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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Bellview Elementary School will observe Read Across America Day on Monday, in honor of children’s author Dr. Seuss. In the Bellview library, I put up a sheet of paper from a newspaper end-roll. Staff, students, volunteers ... share your favorite Dr. Seuss quotes. I’ve started things out with a selection from The Lorax.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A selfie — “shelfie” — in the stacks: With the Medford teachers’ strike settled, I was able to resume site visits for my Cuesta College internship in Library and Information Technology. I helped out this week with textbook inventory at the Medford School District’s Instructional Media Center. Using a handheld barcode scanner, I worked from a list of textbooks and scanned the barcodes on each copy.

Cross-posted to the Facebook page of the Cuesta College Library/Information Technology Program

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

How would a pair of shoes look decorated with comic decoupage? Bring your own shoes and find out during the next Teen Crafternoon, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the teen department at the Ashland Public Library.

“Decoupage” involves decorating an item’s surface by applying paper cut-outs and coating it with varnish or lacquer.

Check the library’s online catalog or browse among 745.546 in your branch’s nonfiction stacks to look for books about decoupage.

Esther Mortensen, teen librarian, indicated that she also has a pile of magazines in her office if participants want other pictures to decoupage. Ashland library is located at 410 Siskiyou Blvd. For more information, call 541-774-6994.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Here’s some of the best news that I had all week: the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges reaffirmed Cuesta College’s accreditation among California two-year colleges.

It brings resolution to an issue that dogged my studies in Library and Information Technology. It’s a relief to this student that during the final semester of my pursuit of an Associate’s degree, I no longer have to worry that the program/degree will “disappear” or be rendered illegitimate.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

The LinkedIn professional social network finally enables member blocking. In a post to the LinkedIn help center, Paul Rockwell, who heads up Trust & Safety, told LinkedIn members that “your concerns were heard loud and clear.”

To access the blocking function, hover your cursor over the downward-pointing triangle to the right of the contact button on the person’s profile. (Depending upon the degree of connection, the contact button might say “Send a Message” or “Send InMail.”) This will bring up a menu of several options including the ability to block and report.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

David family males have delivered the newspaper in Steele, Penn. for as long as the town has existed, with each boy taking over the route when he turns 12 years old.

On the eve of his 12th birthday, Wil David receives unwelcome news: the Cooper County Caller will end newspaper delivery to Steele.

Author Sue Corbett brings the perspective of a former youth carrier to her story of a town trying to survive hard times. Interwoven with Wil’s crusade to save the newspaper route is an effort by Steele residents to attract new business to the town’s closed hairpin factory.

Combine this with shady dealings at the county fair and Corbett’s novel is an exciting one. The title of each chapter cleverly mimics the newspaper headline-writing style.

Corbett, a journalist, accurately portrays the changing media landscape. When Wil researches articles online, the results are limited by paywalls.

And librarians may appreciate the library’s acknowledged role in bridging the digital divide: Wil conducts online research and checks his email on library computers.

What a welcome sight on Tuesday, to see competing teams in Oregon Battle of the Books quizzing teammates in the Bellview library. Many of the teams were wearing matching shirts and looked simply fabulous as they ran questions. Best of luck to all competing teams. Represent Bellview — and your reading accomplishments — with pride!

Friday, February 14, 2014

In Cat Champions, Caring for Our Feline Friends (Pajama Press, 2014), author Rob Laidlaw introduces young readers to “another world” of cats, beyond the experience of those fortunate animals who have loving owners.

“Pet cats can become lost or abandoned and must fend for themselves. Feral cats who have not been spayed or neutered give birth, producing more homeless cats, sometimes in large numbers. Neglected cats can become sick or injured. Animal shelters cannot find homes for all the cats they receive; many shelters destroy cats that are not adopted out quickly.”

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

A case of bullying is told from the perspectives of the target, a bystander, and the child who initiated the bullying in Weird!, Dare! and Tough!, written by Erin Frankel and illustrated by Paula Heaphy (Free Spirit Publishing).

Monday, February 10, 2014

“Bring back shushing librarians.” At Salon.com, Laura Miller points out that “Quiet study spaces for adults and children” is almost exactly as valuable as access to the Internet among library users who responded to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

My chief emphasis this week in the Bellview Elementary School library was to create poster and book displays for the Oregon Reader’s Choice Award, upper-elementary division, and Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Like its subtitle suggests, Reading in the Wild offers author Donalyn Miller’s “Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits.” With co-author Susan Kelley, Miller identifies five traits or habits of a lifelong independent reader.

The “Wild reader,” according to Miller, dedicates time to read, self-selects reading material, shares books and reading with other readers, has a reading plan and shows preferences. And while the co-authors write from a background of teaching elementary school children, I believe that older-grade educators, parents and library professionals will find this book of value too.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

On a library internship discussion board, a classmate responded to my comment about sharing an appreciation for graphic novels with my internship coordinator.

My classmate pointed out that presenting different sides of an event, as was done with Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers and Saints, “seems like a great way to encourage critical thinking skills (that happens to align with the Common Core State Standards).”

My classmate added, “I think that teachers will need extra support over the next few years while they are transitioning to the new curriculum and the school media center plays an important role!”

Monday, February 3, 2014

My Cuesta College internship has taken me to several elementary schools in Medford School District 549C in Jackson County in southern Oregon. According to the district website, its 14 elementary schools range in size from 150 to 630 students.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

During the Ashland library teen department’s “Teen Crafternoon” on Saturday, I constructed a scissor pouch out of the end length of a man’s tie. I reinforced the existing seam that ran the length of the section of tie, and closed off the bottom. Once I turned it right-side out, I glued a length of trim around the opening and down the length of the pouch. Check out additional photos on Ashland Teen Library Fans’ Facebook page.

Available at reading levels suitable for adolescents and adults, the document “introduces newly-diagnosed Autistic people to the community and answers common questions they might have, covering topics such as legal rights and identity.”

About Me

I’m a library paraprofessional and editor who “wears many hats.” Creativity is my superpower. I travel by bicycle and bus. I draw attention to issues faced by adults who are on the autism spectrum, with special concern for the targets of bullying among both children and adults.

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My writings and reviews of books I’ve enjoyed include “affiliate links.” If you make book purchases through my blog, I’ll receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”